from our family to yours.

our whole family will not be able to celebrate christmas together this year.

i will miss hearing their voices & laughter fill my home...

but, i will treasure all the times we have had together;

all the love & memories.

last night as i lay in bed

i began to think of some of my christmases.

when i was growing up

we always got up early to get our stockings.

one year; 

the year i moved to washington state,

i was ten years old

my two brothers were 8 & 9.

this particular christmas eve 

my 9 year old brother went to bed with a flashlight-

at around 4 am maybe it was 5 am

my brother comes sneaking into my bedroom,

whispering my name...

melody, melody, melody!

off the three of us kids went, 

sneaking quietly down the stairs

to the front room.

the tree stood

all magical with it's lights all glowing

and the stockings hanging there...

bulging at the seams with gifts for us!

oh yes,

we snatched our stockings and began to giggle

with such excitement.

my parents

bless their hearts

wake up to watch us...

mom goes off to make some coffee

and dad sits there with that adorable smirky grin, on his face.

we tear open the stockings with only the anticipation

that a child can have!

yes. 

i remember this wonderful christmas morning.

there have been so many lovely christmas mornings since.

beautiful ones, 

with three sweet little girls

with long hair and big green eyes,

in their jammies

on christmas morning.

the joy that escaped their mouths

as they opened their gifts.

the laughter,

the giggles,

the wrapping paper thrown everywhere,

the 'just what i always wanted'

being said.

the wonder & pure joy

of a child

on this special morning

it is the kind of thing

to treasure.

we have had so very many wonderful

christmases-

 time spent together as a family.

i wrap each and every one of them

up tightly

and carry them in my heart.

one memory of a christmas morning with our sweet girls

that i remember;

we had always told our girls that they could get up as early as they wanted

to get their stockings but, they must wait for us to get up

to open any gifts under the tree.

now, most christmas mornings

i was up before the family

putting coffee on and getting ready for the excitement to follow.

but, on this one morning

as i lay there getting ready to get up...

i hear pitter patter of little feet.

someone is up & struggling to get down their stocking!

i get up and there on the floor is our 

middle daughter 

( the one who is a missionary now, in vienna)

she must have been around 8 years old at the time.

she is sitting on the floor beginning to open

her stocking.

what did i do?

i made coffee (just like my mom)

and we sat 

on the floor

in front of a warm furnace vent

as she began to open each and every gift.

the excitement and joy on her sweet face...

yes, i still remember it.

i treasure it.

 the years have quickly gone by;
in a blink of an eye.
our sweet family has grown-
two son in laws, and a future son in law
have joined our family!
i have also been blessed to 

spend christmas

with two sweet grandsons!

to be lucky enough.

blessed enough,

to watch christmas through their eyes.

oh, the joy.

this season; 

may you be filled with wonder.

with pure joy &

the sweetest of memories.

may you be filled with

love. laughter. family.

& the magic of christmas.

may you be blessed

and may you also be a blessing